


Friends

by Bellatrix_Winchester (Keterina_Porpentina_Albus_Everdeen)



Category: The Witcher (TV)
Genre: F/M, Friendship, Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia Being an Idiot, Nia is a sweetheart, Platonic Relationships, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-04
Updated: 2020-05-02
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:04:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23474350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Keterina_Porpentina_Albus_Everdeen/pseuds/Bellatrix_Winchester
Summary: Geralt of Rivia makes a friend because he knows a thing or two about crying silently at night.
Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 10





	1. Chapter 1

Geralt of Rivia was a 19 year old witcher who was barely getting used to his job. His mother's betrayal was still a fresh wound in his heart when he was sent to Nilfguard for a side job. This was the very first task in his which he was left alone, with enough money to stay at an inn.

His job got over in a few days and soon it was time to leave. Before leaving, he decided to buy his first glass of ale as a grown up man.

The youngest daughter of the barkeep had served him food for the last few days. She was a nice girl, nice enough for Geralt to leave her alone, since girls like her deserve better than witchers like him.

"Can I get you some bread for the road, Geralt?" Asked Nia.

He shook his head and smiled a little, " a glass of your cheapest ale please."

Mia's eyes widened and she quickly looked around, " Are you old enough?"

Geralt took out his coin, " If you mean whether I have enough to pay, I do. "

Nia looked confused, " Oh but Geralt, young boys shouldn't drink, even if they can pay. Papa wouldn't let my brother's drink till they were eighteen. "

Gerlat laughed, " I am 19 years old Nia. "

Nia looked at him in disbelief, "Oh, you don't look it. Only your eyes, they look older."

Without another word, she fetched the ale and gave him as much as he wanted.

When it was time to pay, she said, "First glass on me Geralt."

He stopped smiling, "I shall pay in full if you don't mind. A witcher doesn't care for debts."

Nia looked hurt, " It's just a gift. "

Geralt sternly said, "Gifts are just another word for payment for some sort of future service and trust me,y don't want the likes of me tethered to you for anything, much less a gift. "

He left with Nia standing with her coins.

* * *

Geralt was feeding Roach near the stream when he heard someone wash clothes. He walked towards the source of the sound and saw Nia, washing her clothes and silently wiping her eyes.

Fresh tears kept blurring her eyes and she had to wipe them every other second,almost unable to stop weeping and she kept sniffling.

Geralt was usually quiet but Nia's tears made him a little unbalanced and he stood on dry leaves.

The sound made Nia look up.

"How long have you been standing there?" She said in a defeated voice.

Geralt guiltily answered, "Long enough. What's wrong?"

Nia shook her head.

Geralt came closer until he was standing in between the stream and her feet, "Is it what I said?"

Nia looked sadly at the stream and the trees behind it, "Everyone seems to avoid me or stop needing me after a point. All I try is to make friends, to talk to people without just fetching them their orders. It seems like all I am good for is business and the bare minimum conversation.

They'd rather leave than stay one more minute to spend with me."

Geralt looked surprised, " I didn't realize..."

"How lonely I am?" Nia smiled sadly.

Geralt said, "That you wanted friendship. You see, everyone always wants some service from a witcher. A job, a secret assassination, sex. "

Nia looked up, shocked and almost offended, "You thought I wanted... "

Geralt silently sat beside her. Nia washed her clothes and stood up.

Geralt walked with her, "Would you like to accompany to the forest, where the waterfall is loud? I'd like to meditate and it'd be lovely if you would come. We can talk or meditate together. "

Nia said, " Is this a pity thing? "

Geralt stopped and properly looked her in the eyes, "It's a _'I know a thing or two about crying silently at night_ ' kind of thing." 

So they spent that day with each other, in silence and in occasional soul searching, as two friends, until duty did them part.


	2. We meet again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Geralt and Nia cross paths.

It was a stormy afternoon. Nia closed the bar because nobody would dare walk around in this thunder and lightning. Her life was as lonely as ever, save a few trips to her cousin's place. Her cousins were nice people, they talked to her and were interested in the books she read, the poems she wrote and the different types of hairstyles she liked to try on her little cousins.

Maya was a six year old little girl who loved to have her hair styled like a princess by Nia. It has been weeks since she saw them and her heart was empty and numb. She almost forgot what it was like to have feelings, other than the occasional conversations she has with her customers.

Someone knocked on the door of the bar.

"That's impossible", Nia thought to herself as she opened the door and of course, the only possible explanation was that Geralt of Rivia is somehow back here, right in front of her, with nobody else in sight for ten miles, not even her family, who left her alone in charge of the bar to enjoy hiking and hunting.

"Geralt?", Nia almost laughed.

Geralt came in, dripping wet and looked at her curiously, "hello, what's so funny?"

Nia said, "let's just say that not everyone would expect a guest in this weather so it makes sense that it's you. How are you? "

Geralt grunted, "Hungry, wet, filled with mud and filth. Can I take a bath?"

Nia handed him a towel and her brother's clothes, "Go upstairs. I'll warm the stew up."

Geralt smiled a little, "Thank you. It's good to see you. "

* * *

Geralt looked almost normal in Nia's brother's ordinary clothes. When he sipped his beef stew and was talking to Nia about his horse Roach's weird need to hump trees, his face almost didn't give away the horrors of his past.

His eyes though.

They were still kind but it was the eye of someone who expects cruelty.

At one point, he stopped and asked her, "Did you fashion that hair yourself?"

She nodded and smiled.

Geralt looked a little embarrassed and shrugged, " I notice things like that ever since you told me last time in the woods that you like to alter your hairstyles with clips and whatnot. Yours is pretty. "

Their conversation was mundane but it was the best thing for Geralt because for him, mundane things are rare. For Nia, she just liked her weird friend, who was surprisingly soft spoken and had an eye for details.

They spent the storm reading Nia's poems, teaching Geralt some of the old poetries and him teaching her how to cook with wood properly.


End file.
